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Hajj Pilgrimage: Two Dead In Fatal Shooting At US Consulate In Saudi

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Saudi authorities have launched an investigation on Thursday following a fatal exchange of gunfire outside the US consulate in Jeddah.

 

The incident resulted in the death of an assailant and a security guard.

 

The shooting took place on Wednesday evening, during the ongoing hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, for which Jeddah serves as the gateway city. Officials have not disclosed any possible motive for the incident.

 

The official Saudi Press Agency quoted a police spokesman as saying “At 6:45 pm (1545 GMT), a man stopped in a car in front of the consulate building and got out with a weapon in his hand,”

 

“Security forces reacted… resulting in an exchange of fire that killed the assailant,” it said

 

He added that the Nepalese security guard, who was injured during the incident, later succumbed to his wounds.

 

The shooting incident took place on the final day of the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, coinciding with a significant influx of over 1.6 million foreign pilgrims who had traveled through Jeddah via planes and boats to participate in the rituals.

 

A police spokesman mentioned that ongoing security investigations are being conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further updates are awaited as the investigation progresses.

 

The nationality of the gunman involved in the incident has not been disclosed at this time. According to US officials, no American citizens were injured, and the consulate has been secured.

 

In Washington, the State Department issued a statement expressing condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased local security guard.

 

The statement reads “We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased local guards member. The consulate was appropriately locked down and no Americans were harmed in the attack.”

 

The United States is actively maintaining communication with the Saudi Arabian authorities as they initiate their investigation into the incident.

 

It’s worth noting that the US consulate in Jeddah has previously been targeted in attacks, including a suicide bombing on July 4, 2016, which coincided with American Independence Day.

 

 

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International News

Ferrari’s First Electric Car Makes History With Record $40m Auction Sale

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Ferrari’s first fully electric car, the Luce, has made automotive history after a bespoke version of the vehicle sold for a record $40 million at a charity auction in California.

The tailor-made Ferrari Luce “Chassis 0” was sold during Monterey Car Week on Saturday, becoming the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, according to collector car auction company RM Sotheby’s.

The winning bid was 36 times the car’s original estimate of $1.1 million.

SEE MORE: Police Arrest Man For Driving Fake Ferrari In Italy

Ferrari USA celebrated the landmark sale in an Instagram post, saying, “The bids kept climbing. Then, history was made,” while describing the transaction as a new record for the highest-priced new car ever sold at auction.

The sale comes months after Ferrari unveiled the Luce in May. The electric model features a distinctive bubble-like design that differs significantly from the Italian automaker’s traditional angular styling and has received mixed reactions from some Ferrari enthusiasts.

Ferrari previously described the Luce as “a different sort of Ferrari for a different sort of Ferrari client.”
The Luce is powered by four electric motors, with one motor driving each of its four wheels.

The exclusive “Chassis 0” features a pearl-like semi-gloss finish with a personalised pigment that produces changing reflections ranging from green to violet when struck by light.

Its interior is equally distinctive, featuring Perla Le Mans metallic leather and black design elements against a predominantly white background.

Ferrari said proceeds from the record-breaking auction will go to The Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives.

Following the auction, the vehicle will return to Maranello, northern Italy, where it was built, before being delivered to the unnamed winning bidder in the first quarter of 2027.

Meanwhile, deliveries of the regular Ferrari Luce, priced at about €550,000 ($640,000), are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

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Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman Over Iran Deal

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the country obstructs efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the threat on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran concerning control and navigation through the strategic waterway.

SEE MORE: Trump Decrees Lower Petrol Prices

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, referring to the talks between Oman and Iran while the United States pursues its own discussions with Tehran.

Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks over future maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Iran effectively restricted traffic through the waterway at the beginning of the war on February 28, while Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strategic route should be under US control.

On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Iran rejected the position, insisting that the crucial waterway would “remain Iranian.”

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway. The route is critical to global energy supplies and carries significant volumes of oil and other commodities.

Iran has used its control over the strait as leverage against US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and force Tehran to abandon its controversial nuclear programme.

Trump also called on Iran to surrender, saying Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”

Despite the growing tensions and the political pressure surrounding the conflict ahead of the November midterm elections in the United States, Trump said he was not in a hurry to reach a deal.

He further disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump was quoted as saying.

 

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Petro Warns Colombia Is Heading Toward Civil War After Alleged Election Fraud

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Colombia’s outgoing President, Gustavo Petro, has warned that the country could descend into civil war following what he described as widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Petro claimed that the June presidential runoff was tainted by “algorithmic, systemic electoral fraud” involving a massive number of votes, insisting the results were manipulated against his political ally, Ivan Cepeda.

SEE MORE: Osun Election: Gunmen Invade PVC Centre, Cart Away Voter Cards

“We are facing fraud and an undoubtedly profound institutional problem, namely the inauguration of an illegitimate president,” Petro said.

The outgoing leader alleged that “foreign money and foreign companies with the capacity to manipulate algorithms” interfered in Colombia’s electoral process, accusing external actors of influencing the outcome of the election.

Petro’s remarks come just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to be sworn into office on Friday in the southwestern city of Cali, a departure from the longstanding tradition of holding presidential inaugurations before Congress in the capital, Bogota.

The Colombian leader also claimed that De la Espriella, who received the endorsement of United States President Donald Trump before the election, plans to extradite him to the United States on what he described as false charges.

Warning of the potential consequences, Petro said, “It’s crystal clear what a civil war in Colombia could look like,” arguing that public resistance to the incoming administration’s actions could trigger widespread unrest.

The political crisis has deepened further after the left-wing bloc in Congress, led by Cepeda, announced it would boycott De la Espriella’s inauguration and called for nationwide mobilization against the president-elect.

Observers have also raised concerns that Colombia could witness a return to violent street protests similar to those experienced between 2019 and 2021, which left dozens dead.

Despite having no prior political experience, De la Espriella has pledged to boost private investment, shrink the size of government by 40 percent, and intensify military operations against guerrilla groups and drug cartels as the country battles its worst surge in violence in a decade.

His inauguration is scheduled for Friday amid heightened political tensions and growing uncertainty over Colombia’s future.

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